diff --git a/src/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.ILLink/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.ILLink.csproj b/src/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.ILLink/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.ILLink.csproj
index 3757ed34b68..7801e27b014 100644
--- a/src/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.ILLink/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.ILLink.csproj
+++ b/src/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.ILLink/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.ILLink.csproj
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
+<Project Sdk="Microsoft.NET.Sdk">
   <Import Project="..\..\Configuration.props" />
   <PropertyGroup>
     <TargetFramework>$(DotNetTargetFramework)</TargetFramework>
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
     <!--Include shared linker sources-->
     <Compile Include="..\Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks\Linker\External\Linker\BaseMarkHandler.cs" Link="External\BaseMarkHandler.cs" />
-    <Compile Include="..\Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks\Linker\MonoDroid.Tuner\AddKeepAlivesStep.cs" Link="MonoDroid.Tuner\AddKeepAlivesStep.cs" />
     <Compile Include="..\Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks\Linker\MonoDroid.Tuner\AndroidLinkConfiguration.cs" Link="MonoDroid.Tuner\AndroidLinkConfiguration.cs" />
     <Compile Include="..\Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks\Linker\MonoDroid.Tuner\Extensions.cs" Link="MonoDroid.Tuner\Extensions.cs" />
     <Compile Include="..\Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks\Linker\MonoDroid.Tuner\FixAbstractMethodsStep.cs" Link="MonoDroid.Tuner\FixAbstractMethodsStep.cs" />
diff --git a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Linker/MonoDroid.Tuner/AddKeepAlivesStep.cs b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Linker/MonoDroid.Tuner/AddKeepAlivesStep.cs
index 0ca2fa7f597..9968c0822fe 100644
--- a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Linker/MonoDroid.Tuner/AddKeepAlivesStep.cs
+++ b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Linker/MonoDroid.Tuner/AddKeepAlivesStep.cs
@@ -3,31 +3,14 @@
 using Java.Interop.Tools.Cecil;
 using Mono.Cecil;
 using Mono.Cecil.Cil;
-using Mono.Linker;
 using Mono.Linker.Steps;
 using Xamarin.Android.Tasks;
 
 namespace MonoDroid.Tuner
 {
-	public class AddKeepAlivesStep : BaseStep
-#if !ILLINK
-		, IAssemblyModifierPipelineStep
-#endif  // !ILLINK
+	public class AddKeepAlivesStep : BaseStep, IAssemblyModifierPipelineStep
 	{
 
-		protected override void ProcessAssembly (AssemblyDefinition assembly)
-		{
-			var action = Annotations.HasAction (assembly) ? Annotations.GetAction (assembly) : AssemblyAction.Skip;
-			if (action == AssemblyAction.Delete)
-				return;
-
-			if (AddKeepAlives (assembly)) {
-				if (action == AssemblyAction.Skip || action == AssemblyAction.Copy)
-					Annotations.SetAction (assembly, AssemblyAction.Save);
-			}
-		}
-
-#if !ILLINK
 		public void ProcessAssembly (AssemblyDefinition assembly, StepContext context)
 		{
 			// Only run this step on user Android assemblies
@@ -36,7 +19,6 @@ public void ProcessAssembly (AssemblyDefinition assembly, StepContext context)
 
 			context.IsAssemblyModified |= AddKeepAlives (assembly);
 		}
-#endif  // !ILLINK
 
 		internal bool AddKeepAlives (AssemblyDefinition assembly)
 		{
@@ -145,11 +127,7 @@ protected virtual AssemblyDefinition GetCorlibAssembly ()
 			return Extensions.GetMethod (gcType, "KeepAlive", new string [] { "System.Object" });
 		}
 
-		public
-#if !ILLINK
-		override
-#endif
-		void LogMessage (string message)
+		public override void LogMessage (string message)
 		{
 			Context.LogMessage (message);
 		}
diff --git a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Microsoft.Android.Sdk/targets/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.TypeMap.LlvmIr.targets b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Microsoft.Android.Sdk/targets/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.TypeMap.LlvmIr.targets
index adca4dad466..92ddfda447a 100644
--- a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Microsoft.Android.Sdk/targets/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.TypeMap.LlvmIr.targets
+++ b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Microsoft.Android.Sdk/targets/Microsoft.Android.Sdk.TypeMap.LlvmIr.targets
@@ -195,13 +195,6 @@
       <_TrimmerCustomSteps Include="$(_AndroidLinkerCustomStepAssembly)" Type="Microsoft.Android.Sdk.ILLink.PreserveRegistrations" />
       <_TrimmerCustomSteps Include="$(_AndroidLinkerCustomStepAssembly)" Type="Microsoft.Android.Sdk.ILLink.PreserveJavaInterfaces" />
       <_TrimmerCustomSteps Include="$(_AndroidLinkerCustomStepAssembly)" Type="MonoDroid.Tuner.FixAbstractMethodsStep" />
-      <!-- Custom steps that run after MarkStep -->
-      <_TrimmerCustomSteps
-          Condition=" '$(AndroidAddKeepAlives)' == 'true' "
-          Include="$(_AndroidLinkerCustomStepAssembly)"
-          AfterStep="CleanStep"
-          Type="MonoDroid.Tuner.AddKeepAlivesStep"
-      />
       <!-- Custom steps that run after CleanStep -->
       <_TrimmerCustomSteps Include="$(_AndroidLinkerCustomStepAssembly)" AfterStep="CleanStep" Type="MonoDroid.Tuner.StripEmbeddedLibraries" />
       <_TrimmerCustomSteps
diff --git a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/AssemblyModifierPipeline.cs b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/AssemblyModifierPipeline.cs
index 08a558de918..4512be0f898 100644
--- a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/AssemblyModifierPipeline.cs
+++ b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/AssemblyModifierPipeline.cs
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ public class AssemblyModifierPipeline : AndroidTask
 {
 	public override string TaskPrefix => "AMP";
 
+	public bool AddKeepAlives { get; set; }
+
 	public string ApplicationJavaClass { get; set; } = "";
 
 	public string CodeGenerationTarget { get; set; } = "";
@@ -140,6 +142,13 @@ protected virtual void BuildPipeline (AssemblyPipeline pipeline, MSBuildLinkCont
 		findJavaObjectsStep.Initialize (context);
 		pipeline.Steps.Add (findJavaObjectsStep);
 
+		// AddKeepAlivesStep
+		if (AddKeepAlives) {
+			var addKeepAlivesStep = new AddKeepAlivesStep ();
+			addKeepAlivesStep.Initialize (context);
+			pipeline.Steps.Add (addKeepAlivesStep);
+		}
+
 		// SaveChangedAssemblyStep
 		var writerParameters = new WriterParameters {
 			DeterministicMvid = Deterministic,
diff --git a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/LinkAssembliesNoShrink.cs b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/LinkAssembliesNoShrink.cs
index 9dc7e99e635..24ba3496279 100644
--- a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/LinkAssembliesNoShrink.cs
+++ b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Tasks/LinkAssembliesNoShrink.cs
@@ -14,8 +14,6 @@ public class LinkAssembliesNoShrink : AssemblyModifierPipeline
 	{
 		public override string TaskPrefix => "LNS";
 
-		public bool AddKeepAlives { get; set; }
-
 		public bool UseDesignerAssembly { get; set; }
 
 		protected override void BuildPipeline (AssemblyPipeline pipeline, MSBuildLinkContext context)
@@ -32,13 +30,6 @@ protected override void BuildPipeline (AssemblyPipeline pipeline, MSBuildLinkCon
 				pipeline.Steps.Add (fixLegacyResourceDesignerStep);
 			}
 
-			// AddKeepAlivesStep
-			if (AddKeepAlives) {
-				var addKeepAliveStep = new AddKeepAlivesStep ();
-				addKeepAliveStep.Initialize (context);
-				pipeline.Steps.Add (addKeepAliveStep);
-			}
-
 			// Ensure the <AssemblyModifierPipeline> task's steps are added
 			base.BuildPipeline (pipeline, context);
 		}
diff --git a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Xamarin.Android.Common.targets b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Xamarin.Android.Common.targets
index 30e7b9d3813..2a014256582 100644
--- a/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Xamarin.Android.Common.targets
+++ b/src/Xamarin.Android.Build.Tasks/Xamarin.Android.Common.targets
@@ -1459,6 +1459,7 @@ because xbuild doesn't support framework reference assemblies.
     Inputs="$(_AndroidLinkFlag)"
     Outputs="$(_AdditionalPostLinkerStepsFlag)">
   <AssemblyModifierPipeline
+      AddKeepAlives="$(AndroidAddKeepAlives)"
       ApplicationJavaClass="$(AndroidApplicationJavaClass)"
       CodeGenerationTarget="$(_AndroidJcwCodegenTarget)"
       Debug="$(AndroidIncludeDebugSymbols)"